Kites



April 25, 1966 F. v. CUNNINGHAM 3,248,075 f KITEs Filed Feb. 25, 196s zsheets-snee?I 1 m65 )7 FIG FIG- FRANOS v. XIIIKAM ATTO RNEY April 26,1966 F. v. cUNNxNGHAM 3,248,075

KITES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1963 INVENTOR FRANCIS V.CUNNINGHAM BY X/ ATTORNEY FIG. IO

United States Patent() KITES Francis V. Cunningham, Western Springs,Ill. (1632 Chicago Ave., Evanston, lll.) Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No.260,693 7 Claims. (Cl. 244-153) This invention is directed to kites andis particularly concerned with improvements which enhance manufacture,shipping, and customer assembly thereof and which illnprove theglidingand diving ight characteristics of Most kites are so constructedthat their bulk and fragile nature in an assembled flying conditionrequires expensive shipping and packaging techniques. For this reasonkites are oftentimespackaged, shipped and sold to the customer in anunassembled condition. Most kites are also characterized by relativelyfragile frame constructions which are easily damaged by impact forces.The nature of the frame constructions, which are determinative of theoverall shape of kites, do not permit shipment in a at assembledcondition. The present invention aims to overcome these deficiencies ofprior constructions by so constructing a kite body that although ithasa' shallow V-shaped cross section in the ying condition, it may beshipped and packaged in an assembled, flat condition.l The user needonly Yattach the customary manipulating' line. The same features whichenable shipment in the at lcondition also enhance the diving and glidingflight characteristics of the kite. In addition, in one form of theinvention, the kite may be easily folded with the sheet material rolledaround stiifening members for shipment. Furthermore, the kite is soconstructed that it is more impact resistant than previous kites. Theseand other purposes will become more apparent in the course of theensuing specification and claims when taken in conjunction 'with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

`FIGURE l is a front view of a typical kite constructed in accordancewiththe 'principlesl of the present inventlOn; Y Y

FIGURE 2 is a rearfview of the kite illustrated in FIGURE 1;v

FIGURE 3 is a side FIGURES 1 and 2; I E FIGURE`4 vis `a`view similar toFIGURE 3 but illustltzt-r'rg another condition of the kite illustratedin FIG- view of the kite illustrated in FIGURE 5 is anenlarged"sectional View of va portion l of the kite illustrated inFIGURES'I through 4 and particularlyl illustrating a connection betweenstifening members in the kite;

YFIGURE 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the kiteillustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4 and particularly illustratingaidetail of assembly;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged plan lview of a portion of the kite illustratedin FIGURES 1 through 4 and illus- :trating another connecting jointbetw'eeustiifening elements of the assembly; FIGURE 8 `is a fr'ont viewillustrating a modified form of the inventoin; .FIGURE'9i's 'a'rear viewof 'the kite shown in FIG- URE8;' A FIGURE 1'0 is a sectionalVillustration of the Akite illus- .trated in FIGURE 8 andparticularlyillustrating the dihedral of the kite; YAYFIGURE 1l is' a'detailview of"one fastening subassembly used in the invention;

FIGURE 12 is a detail 'View of another fastening subaassemblyused in theinvention; and A vFIGURE 13 is a detail view of another fasteningsubassembly used in the invention.

With particular reference now to the drawings, wherein like elements aredesignated by like characters throughout, and in the first instance toFIGURE 1, the numeral 10 generally designates a sheet of suitable kitefabric which may be of paper, paperlike material, or thin plastic ilmall as is known to the art. The sheet fabric 10 has an outline andconfiguration of the overall kite.

The exible fabric 10 is fixed to a stiffening frame which is defined bya longitudinal stifening member 11 and side stiening members 12 and 13.The kite defined by the fabric and stitfening members may have a formsuch that the top portion thereof has a generally inverted V-shaped (ina front view) and while the lower portion 15 may have various shapes,wherein members 12 and 13 may be divergent, parallel, or convergent tosuit desired appearance.

The -top portion of the kite may have its characteristic invertedV-shaped form defined by stilfening mem- 'bers 16 and 17 which areconnected to the side stiifening members at the upper portion of thekite. The stiffening members 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17 may be cornprised ofelongated, relative narrow plastic tubes or strips of wood, as aredepicted in the drawing, and which are flexibly joined together.

The flexible sheet fabric 10 which defines the general outline andconfiguration of the kite may be fixed to the strips 11, 12, 13, 16 and17 through suitable and conventional means such as adhesives or lightstaples.

' relation by transverse braces illustrated in the drawings as staywires 18 and 19 which span the width of the kite body and are aflixedthereto.

The side strips or stiifening means for the kite body i may be joinedtogether through use of tubes 20 and 21 as is illustrated in detail inFIGURE 5. In FIGURE 5, for example, the abutting ends of the strips 12and 16 are shown inserted into the bore of the exible tube 20, which maybe conveniently formed of a plastic material which is somewhat yieldableor resilient. The uppermost strips 16 and 17 may be joined together andto the medial longitudinally extending reinforcing strip 11, as isparticularly illustrated 4in FIGURE 7. In FIGURE 7, -for example, a tube22 of a resilient plastic similar to the tubes 20 and 21 receives theends of the strips 16 and 17 at the apex thereof and is bent as is seenin FIGURE 7. The adjoining end of the strip 11 may be fixed to the tube22 through use of a small nail, rivet or the like, 23 which is driventhrough the tube 22 and into the end of the strip 11.

The reinforcing rods 18 and 19 may be fixed to the side -strips 12 and13 simply by bendingthe ends of the wires over or around the strips 12and 13 so as to effect a clamping engagement therewith. In FIGURE 6, forexample, the end portion 18a of the rod 18 is shown bent over the strip13. Y

The sheet fabric 10, which spans the framework defined by the severalsupporting strips, has a width greater than the width of the frameworkdefined by the strips 16, 17 and 12 and 13. The actual width of thesheet fabric at the bottom of the kite may, for example, be 25% greaterthan the dimensions between the lower portions of the strips 12 and 13.Thus the sheet material defining the overall outline of the kite bodymay assume a configuration of generally V-shaped cross section asappears in FIGURE 3 with the cross section diminishing from the bottomof the kite -to the top thereof as appears in FIG- URE 3. Since thejointat the apex of `the top portion serves as a pivot due to theresilient nature of 4the tube 22, the medial strip 11 may be moved intoa dat, substantially coplanar disposition with the side strips, as isillustrated in FIGURE 4, or when pulled outwardly the Patented Apr. 26,1966` section to provide proper flight characteristics.

By virtue of the exibility of the medial stiffening member 11` withrespect to the side frame members which are held in the spaced apartrelation illustrated in the drawings, the kite is easily shipped in anentirely flat condition. The kite is fully assembled nonetheless and thekite is ready for flying upon removal` from the package and attachmentof the usual line to the bridle 24 or simply by direct attachment to themedial strip as illustrated in FIGURE 8.

Under customary ying conditions, therkite will have the generallyV-shaped cross section illustrated in FIG- URE 3. If the user desires toput the kite through maneuvers, such as diving, releasing of thetethering line will allow the medial stilfening member 11 to flexbackwards into the somewhat coplanar disposition illustrated inFIGURE-1, all of which causes the kite to nosedive at great speeds. On4the other hand, by pulling on the tethering line, the kite againassumes its cross -sectional configuration illustrated in FIGURE 3,whereupon the wind forces cause the kite to again ascend.

The at disposition of the kite, as illustrated in FIG- URE 4 isparticularly advantageous in terms of launching the kite through ranysuitable launching means. "In this regard the kite may be held in themore or less ilat condition and shot upwards by some mechanical means.

The construction of the kite is such that it may be used as a sail planeor glider, without the customary tethering line. In this regard theoverall shape and configuration of the kite enables the user to sail4the kite i body much in the manner of a model sail plane or glider.

The construction is relatively shock resistant. In this regard, the useof the flexible joint tubes between the upper and lower side stitteningmembers allows the top portion 14 of the kite to yield slightly withrespect to the bottom portion. The flexible connecting tubes also tendto absorb shock upon impact of the kite with some object, as throughcollision of the apex of the kite with some object, as might beencountered when the -user is putting the kite through a dive. Shockforces are transmitted generally longitudinally through the medialstiiening member 11 and the side stiffening members 12, 13, 16 and 17.The yieldability of the joints between the stiiening members together,which provides a slight yieldability of the top portion of Vthe kitewith respect to the lower portion, enables absorption of such shockswithout fracturing the s-tiffening members.

The principles of construction illustrated and described with respect tothe kite of FIGURES 1 through 7 may be embodied in many different kitecongurations. One such configuration is a plane inverted V-Shape whereinthe side stitfening members define the legs of the V. FIG- URES 8 9 and10 illustrate an additional configuration. In FIGURE 8, for example, thekite has a configuration such as to simulate a bird.V Longitudinalstiliiening means 30 and 31 in the form of wooden strips may divergefrom the 4top to the bottom thereof. An additional longitudinal andmedial stiffener in the Vform of a strip 32 is positioned between thestrips 30 and 31, and need not extend to the apex. Strips 30 and 31 areheld together at their apex, and 4may be held by means of a flexibletube-33a (FIGURE 11) similar to tube 22 in FIGURE 7. Side stiffeningmeans, in the form of strips 33 and 34, extend laterally and may extenddownward from strips 30 and 31. Strips 33 and 34 are exibly connected-to strips 30 and 31 as by means of exible straps 35 and 36 (FIG- URE12). Suitable exible fabric 36a is xed to the strips 30, 31, 32, '33 and34 and overlies the same as is seen in the drawings.

In order -to hold the side stilening members 33 and 34 in spacedrelation, a transversely extending stilfening strip 37 is removablyattached to strips 33 and 34'as through use of tubes 38 and 39. The endsof the tubes 38 and 39m is Seen in FIGURE 13 are fixed to the 4 strips33 and 34. Strip 37 has a length such that when the opposite ends areinserted into the tubes 38 and39 the` kite body `may assume the dihedralillustrated in jFIG- URE lO, as by exing of the central stiffening meanswith respect to the side stiffening' means, or it may assume asubstantially flat disposition as in storage thereof.

The width of the body fabric is such, in FIGURESS,

9 and 10 and the length of brace y37 is such that whenl brace 37 is inplace, at least the .fabric between strips 30 and 31 may ex between anessentially hat position and the V-shaped position illustrated inFIGURE-110, thus providing the characteristic keel eiect when thetethering line pulls the longitudinal strip outwardly. The positioningof strip 32, as shown in the drawings, together with the looseness offabric in the hat condition enable strip 32 to move between the flatposition and the V-shaped position. In elect, strip '32 movesaboutconnection33 as a pivot in moving between these positions.'v

It is preferred to have brace 37 of such a lengththat the fabric betweenstrips 31 and 34and the strips 30 and 33 also assumes the V-shapeddisposition so that the V-shape is continuous from the outer strips 33and 34 to` ythe strip 32 as illustrated in FIGURE 10.

Brace 37 may also be fixed to strips 30 and 31, thereby holding Ythefabric between strips 31 and 34 and strips 30 and 33 in essentially aflat, coplanar position, while at the same time maintaining the V-shapedkeel effect between strips 30 and 31 in the ilying position whileallowing tlexure of this central section to a at disposition1 which isessentially coplanar with-the other sections in a non-ilying position.

- The tubes 38 and 39 may be metal or plastic, and formed as shown. Moreeconomically,. the tubes may be of Vstraight extruded exible plastictubing cut into short attachment.

The kite illustrated in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 may be t shipped at in thefully assembled condition. The kite 1 lmay also be folded by removingstrip 37 and by moving 1 the strips 30 and 31 alongside one another andalongside strip 32 and then folding strips 33 and 34 alongside thecentral strips.

condition.

Kites as herein disclosed may be used as glidersor may be own incustomary fashion with or without the diving and glidingcharacteristics.

upper half of the kite.

similar in cross section to the strips 12, 13, 30 and .-31

which are placed symmetrically with respect to the central I strip 11 or32.

In each form of the invention, the kite is Vso formed 1 that the kitemay either be essentially flat or may be drawings.

Whereas I have shown and described an 'operative form of thevinvention,it should be understood that this showi ing and description thereofshould be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There aremany modications in and to the invention which will fall withiAlternately a bridle 24 as shown in FIG- y URE 3 may be attached to 32as means for flying cord Thus, the kite of FIGURESS, 9 and 10 may eitherbe shipped in a at conditi-on or in a folded 1 It it is desired tominimize 1 the diving and gliding characteristics of the kite, weightsmay be addedrto the lower .half of the kite so that the total 1 weightin the lower half of the kite, which includes the 1V stiening strip,fabric and transverse stitfeners if they. are 1 so located in the lowerhalf, exceeds the weight in the 1 Such weights may be metal or. 1plastic forms attached to the medial or the transverse 1 brace ormaytake the form of short strips of: wood 1 5 in the scope and spiritthereof and which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 'I'hescope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of thehereinafter appended claims.

I claim: t

1. A kite including a flexible fabric defining the outline of the kitebody, said fabric having a top portion of generally inverted V-shape anda lower portion, and rigidifying means xed to the side portions of saidfabric from the top to the bottom thereof, the rigidifying means for thetop portion of said body being exibly connected to the rigidifying meansfor the lower portion of said body, and a medial reinforcing stripjoined to said fabric and to the rigidifying means for said top portion,said strip extending from the top to the bottom of said body, wherebysaid top portion may bend yieldably with respect to the remainder ofsaid body.

2. An airborne device of the type having sheet material defining a kitebody and reinforcing means fixed to said sheet, said means being definedby plural, spaced elongated strips and a transverse strip extendingbetween said other strips and having connections therewith, at least oneof said connections including a resilient connecting` tube connected toa medial portion of one elongated strip with one end thereof directed inthe direction of the length of the strip medial portion and the otherextending in a direction inclined thereto while receiving the end ofsaid transverse strip in a removable, resilient, binding frictionalarrangement.

Y3. A kite including sheet material having a configuration to dene abody of essentially triangular shape comprised of marginal edgesdiverging downwardly from an apex, stilening means extendinglongitudinally of said body at the medial portion thereof, additionalstiiening means spaced outwardly from said lirst named stiffening meansand on both sides thereof and positioned on said marginal edges indownwardly diverging relation relative to each other, said sheetmaterial being iixed to eachsaid stiffening means, means holding saidadditional stitfening means in said spaced relation, said longitudinalstiiening means being exibly, interconnected with said additionalstiiening means so as to allow movement of said longitudinal stilfeningmeans with relation to said additional stiiening means and to and from afirst position generally aligned within said additional stiffeningmeans, and a position defining, with said additional stilem'ng means, agenerally V-shaped keel-like cross section of an extent suicient forflying conditions, said sheet material having sufficient fullnessbetween said stiiening means to allow said movement while saidadditional stiffening means are in said spaced relation, and means forattaching a manipulating line to said medial stifening means.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said longitudinal stilening means isexibly connected to said additional stilfening means solely by saidsheet material.

5. 'I'he structure of claim 3 wherein said holding means is in the formof a brace extending between and connected to said additional stifeningmeans.

A6. The structure of claim 3 wherein each said stiffening means is anelongated strip and the strips delining said additional stiiening meansare positioned in inverted V-shaped relation while having end portionsconnected together at an apex of said V-shaped relation.

7. A kite including sheet material having a coniiguration such as todeline the sides, top and bottom of a kite body, stitfening meansextending longitudinally of said body at the medial portion thereof,additional stiiening means spaced outwardly from said lirst namedstiffening means and on both sides thereof, said sheet material beingfixed to each said stiffening means, means holding said additionalstilfening means in said spaced relation, said longitudinal stiieningmeans being liexibly interconnected with said additional stiffeningmeans by said sheet material and by a flexible joint connecting endportions of each said stiffening means so yas to allow movement of saidlongitudinal stiiening means with relation to said additional stiffeningmeans and to and from a first position generally aligned with saidadditional stiffening means, and a position defining, with saidadditioal stiiening means, a .generally V-shaped keel-like cross sectionof an extent suicient for ying conditions, said sheet material havingsuicierrt fullness betw'een said stiifeninlg means to alloys saidmovement while said additional stiiening means are in said spacedrelation, and means for attaching a manipulating line to said medialstilfening means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 743,301 11/ 1903Lischtiak 244-153 1,005,810 10/1911 Conyne 244-153 2,134,403 10/ 1938Holland 244-'153 2,463,135 3/ 1949 Bach 244-153 2,546,078 3'/ 1951Rogallo et al. 244-153 2,632,614 3/1953 Bodell 244-153 2,762,590 9/ 1956Huie 244-153 2,785,870 E3/ 1957 Green 244-153 3,093,354 6/ 1963 Pohl244-153 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. v FERGUS S. MIDDLETON,Examiner.

3. A KITE INCLUDING SHEET MATERIAL HAVING A CONFIGURATION TO DEFINE ABODY OF ESSENTIALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPE COMPRISED OF MARGINAL EDGESDIVERGING DOWNWARDLY FROM AN APEX, STIFFENING MEANS EXTENDINGLONGITUDINALLY OF SAID BODY AT THE MEDIAL PORTION THEREOF, ADDITIONALSTIFFENING MEANS SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST NAMED STIFFENING MEANSAND ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF AND POSITIONED ON SAID MARGINAL EDGES INDOWNWARDLY DIVERGING RELATION RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID SHEETMATERIAL BEING FIXED TO EACH SAID STIFFENING MEANS, MEANS HOLDING SAIDADDITIONAL STIFFENING MEANS IN SAID SPACED RELATION, SAID LONGITUDINALSTIFFENING MEANS BEING FLEXIBLY INTERCONNECTED WITH SAID ADDITIONALSTIFFENING MEANS SO AS TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF SAID LONGITUDINAL STIFFENINGMEANS WITH RELATION TO SAID ADDITIONAL STIFFENING MEANS AND TO AND FROMA FIRST POSITION GENERALLY ALIGNED WITHIN SAID ADDITIONAL STIFFENINGMEANS, A POSITION DEFINING, WITH SAID ADDITIONAL STIFFENING MEANS, AGENERALLY V-SHAPED KEEL-LIKE CROSS SECTION OF AN EXTENT SUFFICIENT FORFLYING CONDITIONS, SAID SHEET MATERIAL HAVING SUFFICIENT FULLNESSBETWEEN SAID STIFFENING MEANS TO ALLOW SAID MOVEMENT WHILE SAIDADDITIONAL STIFFENING MEANS ARE IN SAID SPACED RELATION, AND MEANS FORATTACHING A MANIPULATING LINE TO SAID MEDIAL STIFFENING MEANS.